Grass Valley supports Nevada City’s courthouse efforts

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Grass Valley’s mayor has the authorization to pen a letter in support of Nevada City’s effort to retrofit the Nevada County Courthouse, which was stalled in October 2012 when the statewide Judicial Council voted to indefinitely delay that $108 million project.

“We just authorized the mayor to write a letter of support,” said Vice Mayor Jason Fouyer, who officiated Tuesday’s city council meeting in lieu of an ill Mayor Dan Miller.

In March, Nevada City allocated $30,000 toward a proposed $94,000 feasibility study to kick-start the long-sought-after courthouse facility upgrade, reasoning that the study’s completion would make the project more attractive for state funding when it becomes available.

Nevada City officials have espoused the need for other county agencies to contribute toward the study. But no Grass Valley contribution was discussed Tuesday when Nevada City’s courthouse retention committee sought its support, Fouyer said. “(A letter of) support is just as important as the money,” he said, reportedly echoing the retention committee’s comments Tuesday.

Council members also agreed to modify their Memorandum of Understanding with the county’s public broadcast station Tuesday, in the aftermath of the Nevada County Digital Media Center’s catastrophe-averting restructuring. Fouyer said the MOU amendments are working toward putting the county, Grass Valley and Nevada City all on the same page with NCTV.

“It’s basically just paperwork,” Fouyer said. “We’re all kind of joined at the hip when it comes to NCTV.”

Also at Tuesday’s meeting was an update of the Dorsey Interchange project to add on- and off-ramps to Highway 20/49. That project is nearing its winter seasonal cessation, project coordinator Greg Zeiss recently told The Union.